Lang has been recording nature sounds for the past two decades. In our conversation he describes the very first bird sound he ever recorded, and some other interesting adventures he's had along the way.

We also talk about his latest book, The Songs of Insects, co-authored with Wil Hershberger. This book profiles 75 of the most common sound-making insect species with gorgeous photos, full descriptions, and the species' song or sound included on the CD that comes with the book. This book is going to open a lots of ears (and eyes) to the world of singing insects--a world that has gone largely unnoticed by most bird watchers.

Lang and Wil have recently created a really cool insect-sounds website to support the book. Check it out.

The This Birding Life podcast is available in both MP3 (audio only) and M4A (images and sound) formats and can be downloaded from the BWD website or in the iTunes Store.

About Bill

Bill of the Birds

Bill Thompson III is the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest by day. He's also a keen birder, the author of many books, a dad, a field trip leader, an ecotourism consultant, a guitar player, the host of the "This Birding Life" podcast, a regular speaker/performer on the birding festival circuit, a gentleman farmer, and a fungi to be around. His North American life list is somewhere between 673 and 675. His favorite bird is the red-headed woodpecker. His "spark bird" was a snowy owl. He has watched birds in 25 countries and 44 states. But his favorite place to watch birds is on the 80-acre farm he shares with his wife, artist/writer Julie Zickefoose. Some kind person once called Bill "The Pied Piper of Birding" and he has been trying to live up to that moniker ever since.